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Fisheries minister off to China

P.E.I. Fisheries Minister Ron MacKinley is leading an Island delegation on a seafood trade mission to China.

They'll attend the largest seafood expo in Asia, with 900 exhibitors and 15,000 visitors. MacKinley said it's a tremendous opportunity to grow markets for P.E.I. seafood.

"The potential is unreal. We have increased our market share there by more than tripling it since 2007," he said.

"Right today 7.5 per cent of Canadian fish, seafood is exported to China. A lot of the Chinese people have already been here. This is a followup."

Holland College's Culinary Institute of Canada will prepare samples of P.E.I. lobster, mussels and crab for potential buyers at the expo. Representatives from Royal Star Foods, P.E.I. Mussel King, the Acadian Fishermen's Co-op, BJ Trading & Marketing and the P.E.I. Fishermen's Association will be part of the delegation.

They leave for China Friday and will make a business trip to Japan on the trip back home.